SH Blog: Paul George’s confidence rising, Nash gets 10,000th assist

When it comes down to it, there aren’t many talents like George. When he plays with the take-over attitude and confidence that were on display in the second half against the Heat last night, it’s tough for even The King and Co. to slow him down.

“I see him playing with a lot of confidence and a lot of opportunities,” James told the AP. “The simple fact that Danny Granger is hurt (and) has created this opportunity for him to show what he can do. He’s doing everything. He was a good player last year, but we weren’t able to see it because he wasn’t a featured player.”

Granger is likely to come back from his injury at some point in February, so it will be interesting to see the dynamic between them upon his return. But George and Granger have always fit nicely next to each other because Granger spaces the floor with his jumper, which allows George to get easier forays to the bucket.

For the time being, however, George will continue to have even more freedom than he knows what to do with on some nights.

“LeBron really played me tough tonight but my teammates did a good job of setting me up and I did the easy part, I guess, which is knocking shots down,” said George.

If George continues to rise to the occasion and make shots, the Pacers are going to be tougher and tougher to beat on a nightly basis.

Antawn Jamison slipped the pick-and-roll and Nash found him on his way to the rim with time running down in the second quarter against the Rockets on Tuesday night. Los Angeles lost another game, 125-112, and dropped to 15-19 overall, but Nash joined John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson in the 10K assist club:

And below is a vintage Nash highlight reel, featuring 10 of the top assists of his career. Enjoy: